The fact that North Finchley resident Hazel Mensah, who volunteers for our Performance Advisory Group (PAG), is a very modest woman indeed, made it all the more sweeter for her (and Barnet Homes) when she received a certificate on Tuesday 17 March from Barnet’s Mayor at the annual Barnet Civic Awards.
The Deputy Mayor of Barnet thanked Hazel for her contribution and told the shy mum: “Don’t be so shy and be proud of your achievements for Barnet.”
Hazel spends a lot of her time volunteering for Barnet Homes’ PAG, whose main objective is to improve housing services for tenants and leaseholders, as well as scrutinising Barnet Homes’ performance and complaints.
Hazel, who completed the CIH (Chartered Institute of Housing) qualification level 2 and 3 with Barnet Homes last year says, “I joined PAG as I want to have a positive influence in improving the services of Barnet Homes and make a difference for residents.”
The mum-of-four also juggles volunteering for PAG while single-handedly raising her family aged 4, 5, 15 and 17, plus managing to provide much-needed support to vulnerable women in Barnet.
If that wasn’t enough, industrious Hazel recently and single-handedly set up the Barnet Lone Parents Group, affiliated to Gingerbread. In July 2014, Hazel used social networking sites to call out to lone parents in Barnet, who needed housing advice, support, a shoulder to cry on or just someone to listen.
The popularity of the Gingerbread group has even attracted single parents from neighbouring boroughs.